2025 Hyundai Staria 2.2 CRDi Prestige 10-seater Review

In 2025, Malaysia's 10-seater MPV market competition continues to heat up, with family users having increasingly clear demands for large space and high configuration, while commercial usage scenarios also require vehicles that balance comfort and practicality. As the flagship MPV of the Hyundai brand, the all-new Staria 2.2 CRDi Prestige 10-seater enters the market with a pricing of RM 209,888. Its core selling points focus on a spacious 10-seat layout, comprehensive intelligent safety configurations, and the fuel efficiency of its diesel engine. This test drive aims to verify whether its static performance meets the needs of various scenarios and if its dynamic performance can balance passenger comfort with driving convenience.

Staria's exterior design continues the futuristic style of the brand's family, with smooth and distinctive lines overall. The front face adopts a large trapezoidal grille, paired with a continuous LED daytime running light that connects with sharply edged LED headlights on both sides, further extending the visual width. The side profile retains the typical boxy silhouette of an MPV, but the waistline slightly rises from the front to the rear. Paired with 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels, it reduces the bulky feel of traditional MPVs. The rear design is simple, featuring horizontally arranged LED tail lights that echo with the front face. The high-mounted brake light is embedded at the top of the rear door, and rear fog lights are integrated into the lower rear bumper. The overall design meets the stable requirements of commercial vehicles while catering to family users' aesthetics.

Upon entering the interior, Staria's layout prioritizes practicality. The dashboard adopts a tiered design, with an 8-inch touchscreen on top and physical buttons below for convenient blind operation while driving. The interior materials mainly consist of soft-touch plastics and fabric. Although it lacks the leather wrapping of luxury vehicles, the consistent seam treatment ensures an overall quality fitting for its positioning. Configuration-wise, the driver’s seat supports electric adjustment and lumbar support, effectively reducing fatigue during long drives; the front row is equipped with automatic climate control, while the rear row has an independent air conditioning system with multiple air vents to ensure temperature control even when the vehicle is fully occupied with 10 seats. In terms of intelligent features, the 10.25-inch fully digital instrument panel displays clear information and can switch between various driving data. The 360-degree surround-view camera system provides excellent visual assistance in narrow roads or during reversing, which is particularly practical for a long MPV.

Space performance is one of Staria's core advantages. Its body dimensions measure 5253mm×1997mm×1990mm, with a wheelbase of 3273mm, providing a solid foundation for a 10-seat layout. The legroom in the first two rows is spacious, and passengers with a height of 175cm have a two-fist distance between their knees and the front seat when seated in the second row. The space performance in the third and fourth rows (exclusive to the 10-seater version) is not as good as the first two rows, but passengers would not feel cramped during short trips, making it suitable for family outings or commercial passenger transport. Regarding storage capacity, the front central armrest box has a large volume, door panel storage compartments can accommodate water bottles and small items, and the third and fourth row seats support split-folding. After folding, the trunk space can be expanded to accommodate large luggage or cargo, meeting commercial transportation needs.

In terms of power, the Staria is equipped with a 2.2-liter turbocharged diesel engine that delivers a maximum power of 130kW (177PS) and a maximum torque of 430N·m, paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. During actual driving, the torque output in the low-speed range (1500-2500rpm) is abundant, and the power responds swiftly at startup. Even with a full load of 10 passengers, light throttle input allows for smooth acceleration from a stop. Switching to Sport mode delays gear shifting, resulting in more direct power delivery, making overtaking relatively effortless. In Economy mode, the shifting logic favors fuel efficiency by keeping the revs below 2000rpm, which is suitable for driving in urban traffic conditions.

In terms of handling performance, the steering wheel of the Staria has moderate steering effort, minimal play, and maintains good stability at high speeds. The combination of front MacPherson independent suspension and rear multi-link independent suspension performs well on bumpy roads, effectively filtering vibrations from speed bumps or uneven road surfaces, so passengers are not subjected to excessive shocks. However, due to the higher body height, there is noticeable body roll during fast cornering, so it's necessary to control the speed while driving. Regarding fuel economy, during this test drive on mixed road conditions (50% city and 50% highway), the fuel consumption is approximately 8.5L per 100 kilometers, which is excellent for a 10-seater MPV. The 75L fuel tank capacity provides a range of approximately 880 kilometers, reducing the need for frequent refueling.

Safety features are one of the highlights of the Staria, as it comes standard with 6 airbags across all variants (front dual airbags, side airbags, and front and rear curtain airbags), vehicle stability control, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, and other active safety systems. In actual testing, the forward collision warning system alerts the driver in time when approaching the vehicle ahead too closely, and works together with the automatic emergency braking system to effectively reduce collision risks. The ACC adaptive cruise control system performs stably on highways, automatically adjusting the speed according to the vehicle in front, thus alleviating driver fatigue. In terms of riding comfort, the vehicle does a good job controlling wind and tire noise, so that even at high speeds, interior noise does not affect normal conversations. The seat cushions are of medium firmness, and the backrest angle of the second-row seats is adjustable, ensuring comfort even during long rides.

Overall, the core advantages of the Staria 2.2 CRDi Prestige 10-seater focus on space, safety, and fuel efficiency. Compared to the Toyota Granvia in the same class, the Staria offers richer configurations (such as 360-degree panoramic cameras and power seats) at a price approximately 20,000 MYR lower, representing better value for money. Compared to the Kia Carnival, although the third-row space is slightly inferior, the 10-seater layout is better suited for large families or commercial use scenarios.

This model is suitable for two types of users: first, large families, as the 10-seater layout can meet the needs of family outings, while the rich safety configurations ensure safe travels; second, commercial users, as the fuel efficiency provided by the diesel engine and the flexible storage space can accommodate both passenger transport and cargo delivery. Overall, the Staria offers a balanced performance in the 200,000 MYR price range and is a large MPV worth considering.